Nov 21, 2013 8:37 PM

I'm in the middle of week 6 of 9 of "Couch-to-5K". I can't believe how well it's going. I have never been a runner. I was so sure I would have to repeat weeks, but I have not. I'm trying to use the "natural running" style of running and I have light shoes for that with minimal heel rise. I was concerned about the first long 20 minute jog, but I did it !! My dogs are also enjoying coming along with me and they're probably getting into better shape too, although they want to go faster and longer. Ha ha !! Part way through this program, I signed up and paid to take part in a local 5 K run, since it said it might sell out. I was not at all sure I would be able to do it. It will be a "Resolution Run" on December 31st, about two weeks after my scheduled 9 weeks is supposed to finish, on December 13th. I figured that would give me a bit of a buffer in case I had to take it a bit slower.

I tried to take up running a year and a half ago without the help of an app and I really couldn't do more than about 20 second jogs at a time. I have been doing other things, so I was probably in somewhat better shape before I even started this time, but I'm still amazed I'm actually doing this. A few of the jogs have been a bit tiring at times, but it's sure working for me. I have been able to do all of the jogs without stopping or walking when I was supposed to be jogging ! Hooray !

In the last week or two, the novelty has worn off a bit and I don't always feel like doing these workouts, but I have so far always managed to get myself to do them. I have taken the jogs at a reasonable pace, not trying to push myself too much, since I wanted to be able to do them, so I haven't been too concerned about the distance that I'm going. Some days, however, I push myself a little more if I feel like it.

The zombie trainer has been kind of fun.

I'm thinking that if I can do the 5K, I might go on in the spring to try "5K to 10K", then enter the Mother's day 10K. Having goals of specific races seems to help !

Since it's winter and there's snow and sometimes ice here, it's not always the most secure footing for running. I have not slipped on anything so far, but I'm a little concerned about that. I don't want to hurt myself or fall.

After I finish "Couch to 5K", how much or how often would I have to keep running to keep up what I've accomplished so far, say for the next couple of months, January and February, to possibly start the "5K to 10K" in March, so I would be able to run the 10K race in May ? Should it still be 3 times a week of about 30 minutes / 5K ? Or would less often afterwards be OK ?

Regarding winter maintenance mode running, it all depends. Running 3 relatively easy 30 minute runs will certainly do it for you, however, I've also worked out "only" three times per week and pushed pace and/or distance and actually made improvements. With that said, I suppose an argument can be made which says only two runs per week at say 40-50 minutes would bring the same results.

FWIW, I live in New Hampshire and we get lots of snow and ice, needless to say, I've had to learn how to safely run in the stuff. The following are two products I've used in the past to help with traction when things get icy:

I find them a little clompy and they make my lightweight running shoes a bit heavier. I have worn them a couple of times, but would prefer not to have to and it's mostly been OK without them, unless I'm jogging in the provincial park on snowy trails, and then they're pretty good, but then the dogs are more of a handful on leash in that forested park, since there's wildlife in there and sometimes deer. Heh. I try to mostly stick to the paved trails that the city keeps cleared off. They have some clear patches of pavement and a bit of packed snow here and there and small bits of ice, but so far pretty much OK to run on. I'm in Alberta, Canada, by the way. When I started this program, there was no snow... not an ideal time of year to start this, but I wanted something to accomplish, since I have a shoulder injury right now and other things are more limited, like the cross country skiing that I usually do more of than I currently am.

Wow, I just checked and the run that I signed up for at the end of December is now sold out !! Good thing I took a chance and registered early ! And the jackets that are included as part of the entry fee, it looks like they will be orange this year ! Woo hoo ! One of my favourite colours !!!

Today, I did the first one for week 7. Five minute walk, 25 minute jog, 5 minute walk. My legs were a bit tired on and off throughout, but this was OK and doable. Total: 3.5 km. Looking at my data from my heart rate monitor afterwards, if I added another 5 minute jog at the end at about the same rate, that would mean I would add another 0.5 km if I jogged 5 more minutes, so that means I would do about 4 km total if at today's pace by the end of the 9 weeks. That's OK for now. I'm just trying to complete these without always pushing myself to do a lot more distance, and without pushing my heart rate and tiredness too high.

It is defintely helpful to have jogging partners that love exercise and these walk-jogs way more than I do ... my 3 dogs. Varying the location often is also helping. We have so many nice city parks and bike paths here. I just went to a nice park that I hadn't been to for quite a while, jogging along the river. The paved pathway had been almost completely cleared off of snow and ice, so the footing was perfect. Some deer near the pathway early in the walk added to the excitement for the dogs... and gave my upper body a bit more of a workout, holding onto my dogs' leashes.

So bummed...did couch potato to 5k and finished it to week 9...thinking I was running 3 miles in 30 min. Used a treadmill tonight and it took about 30 min to do only about 1.5 miles:(. So now I don't feel ready for a 5k race

TIFFsters, you completed the program, so that's more than at least some people do. If you post your own new thread / discussion with a specific subject line, then you might get some encouragement and helpful advice.

Hi TIFFsters: That's really tough to discover that you're not running the pace that you'd expected, yet, the most important part is that you've still made substantial progress from where you were, and by continuing you'll get to the point where you're 5k ready. It might help to start working in terms of miles rather than minutes, and figure out where a good starting place is to continue to gradually add. It's worth doing... and I remember repeating parts of the program and being frustrated, but being so happy that I stuck with it and ran that first 5k. Which I definitely didn't run in 30 minutes... it took months after completing the program to get to that pace!

I just finished my week 9, day 1. It has been snowy and cold for the past while, so I did the last few on the treadmill. I pushed the treadmill speed a little more today than the last couple of times. My treadmill is a very small and basic one, so I'm not sure of the distance. I hope to try a couple more runs soon outside, so I can find out what distance I'm going now. I have just over two more weeks until the 5K run that I signed up for about halfway through this program. I'll do the 5K and take breaks and walk in parts of it if I need to, since I'm pretty sure I won't be jogging for the full 5K by the time I finish this on about December 15th, then I'll have two weeks after that before the run on December 31st, a "Resolution Run". Kind of appropriate, eh ? ;-) I hope it's not too cold or snowy for the run. In the last week or two, I missed a couple of workout days here and there because it was cold and then I had a busy weekend with another type of event this past weekend, but I got back at it after that, starting with a few treadmill workouts.

I just finished week 9, day 3 (workout number 27 on the program). Yay ! I'm now all done the official "couch to 5K" program. This one today was on a treadmill. The workout before that (5 minute walk, 30 minute jog, 5 minute walk) was outside and 3.83 km, including 3.13 km on the 30 minute jog. The 5 K race that I entered is in 13 more days. Right now, the forecast temperature for the race day is looking pretty good with a high of -4 C. I hope it stays like that, or at least not colder.

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